'Schools' chiefs sell pupils short'

primary school pupils in the town, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) claims.

The association's figures show the town does not shell out as much as the Government suggests it should on children.

The union has said Whitehall estimates Reading is spending £2,479 per primary school pupil but it actually only forks out £2,330 - that's £149 less than it should.

But Reading Borough Council has disputed the claims and pointed out it matches the Government targets when expenditure at all schools is totted up. The council said suggestions it was spending six per cent less than it should were wrong - in fact the figure was around 2.5 per cent.

A spokesman said: "The NAHT excludes spending on primary age children with special educational needs who attend special schools."

In a school of 200 pupils the union says Reading is spending £29,800 less than the Government expects it to - enough to pay for a new teacher.

The Government sets targets for how much councils ought to be spending on education.

It provides money towards running schools and then the local authority tops up the fund with cash from Council Tax.

George Phipson, from the NAHT, pointed out Reading

is under no obligation to hit these targets.

Councillor Jon Hartley,education head, stressed that the council wouldn't massage the figures.

He said schools didn't want to see money taken from one school's budget to give it to another one just to make the figures look better.

He explained the council is moving more children with special educational needs into mainstream primary schools.

The council spokesman added: "We have agreed to prioritise increases in mainstream primary school funding as and when the schools budget can fund them without leading to real cuts in spending in other schools.

"We have agreed a long-term strategy with all our schools to increase the proportion of children with special needs in mainstream schools.

"Over time this will increase the funding going directly to primary schools."